Texas Rangers

Player News - Rangers

Rangers signed RHP Edinson Volquez to a minor league contract with an invitation to spring training.

It's a two-year deal, as Volquez is expected to miss the entire 2017 season after having Tommy John surgery last August. SB Nation's Chris Cotillo says Volquez will earn at least $2 million if in the majors in 2019 and the contract can max out at $6.5 million. The Marlins remain on the hook for the $13 million he's owed in 2018. Volquez, who turns 35 in July, posted a 4.19 ERA over 17 starts for the Marlins last season before going under the knife. His highlight in 2017 was throwing the only no-hitter in baseball.

Matt Bush told reporters Wednesday in Rangers camp that he is fully committed to becoming a starting pitcher.

"There is no doubt in my mind," said Bush. "That is what I'm preparing for and I'm not looking back." The 32-year-old former No. 1 overall pick has posted a strong 3.08 ERA, 1.175 WHIP, and 119/33 K/BB ratio in 114 innings of relief over the last two seasons. He could have sneaky fantasy value in a starting role with Texas.

Rangers signed INF Trevor Plouffe to a minor league contract with an invitation to spring training.

Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic first reported that the deal was close and MLB.com's Mark Feinsand says it's done. Plouffe, 31, batted only .198/.272/.318 across 100 games for the A's and Rays last season, so it's not a surprise that he's going to have to settle for a minor league pact. He'll try to win a bench job.

He's not throwing full bullpen sessions yet, but the fact that Perez is throwing off a mound at all means he's a bit ahead of schedule following December surgery to repair a fractured right (non-throwing) elbow. The Rangers said after the operation that they expected Perez to miss the first month of the season, but the southpaw has indicated that he plans to be ready for Opening Day. It's early, but he would appear to have a shot to reach his goal.

Rangers signed INF Darwin Barney to a minor league contract with an invitation to spring training.

The versatile 32-year-old spent the previous two-and-a-half year with the Blue Jays, this past season sporting an ugly .232/.275/.327 batting line. Barney can't hit a lick, but he's a capable defender at shortstop, second and third base and that should give him a shot to capture a bench spot in Texas.

Rangers signed RHP Bartolo Colon to a minor league contract with an invitation to spring training.

Jesse Sanchez of MLB.com had reported on Saturday that the two sides were closing in on an agreement. The 44-year-old right-hander isn't ready to ride off into the sunset yet and could conceivably crack the Rangers' Opening Day rotation with a strong showing in the spring.

Jesse Sanchez of MLB.com reports that the Rangers are in discussions on a minor league contract with veteran right-hander Bartolo Colon.

Sanchez notes that there is momentum here and a deal is expected to get done. The 44-year-old hurler posted a troublesome 6.48 ERA over 143 innings with the Braves and Twins in 2017. Putting him in Globe Life Park in Arlington just seems cruel at this stage. Colon leads all active MLB pitchers with 240 career wins across his 20 seasons in the big leagues.

Jeff Wilson of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram reports the Rangers have discussed a potential new contract for SS Elvis Andrus with his agent Scott Boras.

Andrus's eight-year, $120 million contract runs through the 2022 season but he has the option to opt out of the deal following each of the next two seasons. The deal was signed prior to the 2015 season and at the time it seemed only a remote possibility that the heretofore light-hitting shortstop would ever choose to opt out of such a lucrative contract. But after Andrus' breakout 2017 campaign it now seems there is a high probability of an impending opt-out. He recorded a .297 batting average with 20 home runs, 88 RBI, 100 runs and 25 stolen bases last year. It makes sense for the team to find out what it would cost them to get Andrus to give up the opt-out clause.

Mets GM Sandy Alderson said Thursday that it is still unlikely the Mets will reunite with Bartolo Colon, even on a minor league deal.

Colon is a popular guy in Queens and the Mets were said to be in discussions with the 44-year-old right-hander earlier this offseason, but that door has apparently closed. Colon registered an unsightly 6.48 ERA in 143 innings (28 starts) last season between the Braves and Twins. He turns 45 years old in May.

Rangers signed LHP Jon Niese to a minor league contract with an invitation to spring training.

2017 was a year to forget for Niese, who struggled to make his way back from knee surgery and found himself released by the Yankees in June. The 31-year-old didn't end up pitching in a game -- in the majors or minors -- all season. He'll try to get his career back on track after reuniting with former Mets pitching coach Dan Warthen, who is the new assistant pitching coach with the Rangers.

Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News reports that the Rangers remain in contact with Carlos Gomez.

More accurately put, Gomez is remaining in contact with the Rangers. Grant says the 32-year-old free agent outfielder recently took a helicopter ride to have a face-to-face meeting with Rangers GM Jon Daniels and other members of the organization. He's coming off a season in which he hit .255/.340/.462 with 17 homers and 13 steals in 105 games. The Giants and Blue Jays have also been rumored landing spots for Gomez, although that was before both teams acquired outfielders -- Andrew McCutchen and Randal Grichuk, respectively -- so their level of interest has probably waned.

According to Kristie Ackert of the New York Daily News, the Mets haven't been in touch with Bartolo Colon recently.

This comes after Ervin Santana said Saturday that Colon told him the Mets were interested in a reunion. Ackert's sources didn't rule out the possibility, but it's not something they are actively talking about and it doesn't appear to be a priority. While the 44-year-old Colon was a fan favorite during his time in Queens, he's coming off an ugly 6.48 ERA and 1.59 WHIP in 2017. If he intends on continuing his career, he'll likely have to earn his way there with a minor league deal.

Ervin Santana said Saturday that he was told last week by Bartolo Colon that the Mets are interested in signing Colon.

Colon, who turns 45 in May, is interested in continuing his career but only wants to do so with the Mets. The veteran right-hander is aiming to get six more wins to supplant Dennis Martinez as the winningest pitcher from Latin America. Mike Puma of the New York Post reported last month that the Mets had "minimal" interest in Colon even on a minor league contract, but perhaps they'll wind up taking a shot on him for some much-needed depth. Colon held an ugly 6.48 ERA and 1.59 WHIP in 2017.

Martin Perez (elbow) said Saturday that he plans to be ready for Opening Day.

Perez suffered a broken (non-throwing) elbow in a freak off-season accident involving a bull, but he claims that he's well ahead of schedule and will be with the Rangers when they open the regular season. The initial expectation was that he would miss the first month of the regular season. While it sounds like he may be ready for the start of the season, his fantasy outlook is still bleak after posting a 4.82 ERA and 1.53 WHIP in 2017.